Many liquid materials are sold in bottles or other rigid or semi-rigid containers which, depending upon the viscosity of the liquid, make full and complete dispensing of the contents a difficult proposition. Representative of such products are condiments, salad dressings, shampoo, and the like. Typically, the containers for such products are configured such that the opening through which the product is to be dispensed is at the top of the container, opposite the bottom of the container which is normally received upon a support surface, such as a refrigerator shelf, during storage. As the contents of the container diminish through use, the amount of time required for the contents to reach the mouth or opening of the container for ultimate dispensing increases. Indeed, there is typically an inverse relationship between the volume of the material in the container and the amount of time required to effectuate the dispensing of a desired quantity from the container.
The nature of viscous materials such as those described above, coupled with the configuration of presently known containers for such materials, give rise to frustration and waste in the dispensing operation. Frequently, an individual will simply discard the container with a substantial volume of the viscous material therein simply because complete dispensing of the contents of the container cannot be achieved in a reasonable period of time following the determination that a quantity of the material is desired.
In the prior art, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,271,878, 5,080,150, and 5,105,860 present support devices of various types which are intended to receive a container in an inverted open condition to drain the contents of the container into a receptacle. The devices do not, however, teach the actual support of the container in an inverted position with the cap in place, to allow the contents of the container to drain toward the cap and to be stored in such a position. Of further general interest in the prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,041 which teaches the storage of a container in an inverted posture with its cap in place, but such a device is employed to improve the seal of the cap and to maintain carbonation of the contents, rather than to allow the contents of the container to move from the bottom of the container to the capped end of the container for dispensing.
The prior art appears to be devoid of any type of stand for a container of viscous material which allows the container to be stored in an inverted position to allow the viscous contents thereof to drain over time toward the capped end of the container so that prompt, efficient, and full dispensing of the contents can be attained.